1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable electronic apparatus such as an IC card that can execute a plurality of applications for communication with an external device based on a communication scheme of a contactless IC card and to a portable terminal system such as a mobile phone terminal having an IC card attached thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many countries such as those in Europe and other parts of the world, a GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) scheme has been conventionally present as a mobile phone system scheme. In the GSM scheme, an SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card that is one kind of IC cards must be disposed in a mobile phone terminal. In Japan, a mobile phone system adopting a PDC (Personal Digital Cellular) scheme which does not require the SIM card has been present. In areas such as Japan or Europe, a mobile phone system adopting a 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard has recently become widespread. In regard to the 3GPP standard, an IC card that is called a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) card must be disposed in a mobile phone terminal like a SIM card.
The SIM card or the USIM card used in the GSM or 3GPP is an IC card that is disposed in a mobile phone terminal. In the SIM card or the USIM card, information such as key information required for connection with a portable communication system, a cryptographic algorithm, various kinds of network parameters or personal information of a user is recorded. In such a mobile phone terminal, information stored in the SIM card or the USIM cared is transmitted to an OTA (Over The Air) server or an authentication server of a telecommunication firm to perform authentication with such a server. A mobile phone terminal that has succeeded in authentication with the server can accept a communication service from the telecommunication firm.
In particular, various applications provided by each telecommunication firm are stored in the USIM used for the mobile phone terminal based on the 3GPP standard. Further, it is often the case that the USIM stores unique information customized in accordance with each user. Furthermore, in recent years, development of a USIM having a large-capacity memory has advanced. In the USIM having a large-capacity memory, a user region in the memory can be expanded. For example, it is often the case that personal information such as information in an address book stored in an internal memory of a mobile phone terminal or an external memory (e.g., a memory card) disposed in a mobile phone terminal is stored in the highly secure USIM.
The number of types of mobile phone terminals based on the 3GPP standard having the USIM attached thereto that is capable of international roaming is increased to be used overseas. When performing the international roaming, a method of removing the USIM from the mobile phone terminal based on the 3GPP and newly inserting the USIM into a mobile phone terminal that can be used in the GSM is general. Moreover, in recent years, mobile phones that can be used in both the 3GPP and the GSM has come onto the market, and 3GPP networks have spreading overseas. As described above, since mobile phone services presently have become seamless, enabling use of applications which are utilized in mobile phone terminals from both home and abroad has been demanded.
On the other hand, in recent years, the number of mobile phone terminals having interfaces conforming to a communication standard ISO/IEC14443 for contactless IC cards is increasing. It is assumed that such mobile phone terminals are utilized in various operating conformations. The mobile phone terminal having the contactless IC card function can be utilized as a contactless IC card or a contactless IC card reader/writer. For example, functions of the contactless IC card installed in the mobile phone terminal are utilized for, e.g., a payment transaction using credit card type or prepaid type electronic money in some cases. Such processing based on the contactless IC card function is realized by an application program stored in the mobile phone terminal main body or the USIM.
However, the application program that realizes various kinds of processing based on the contactless IC card function (which may be also referred to as a contactless IC card application hereinafter) often has an operating conformation that recommends installing this program in the USIM while considering security properties and portability. When a plurality of contactless IC card applications are installed in the USIM, a contactless IC card application to be used must be selected. Additionally, in the above-described operating conformation, contactless IC card applications that are not allowed to coexist in one contactless IC card in terms of business or contactless IC card applications that execute similar processing are present in one USIM.
When a plurality of contactless IC card applications are installed in the USIM in this manner, a contactless IC card application to be used must be selected by a reader/writer (a host device). In this case, the reader/writer requires a processing procedure for selecting a desired contactless IC card application, the processing requires time.